India's Hindu Kumbh Mela festival begins in Allahabad - BBC News BBC News India's Hindu Kumbh Mela festival begins in Allahabad By Geeta Pandey BBC News, Allahabad 14 January 2013 Close share panel Media captionIndia's Kumbh Mela festival begins Several million people have been bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers at Allahabad in India, on the opening day of the Kumbh Mela festival. At least 10 million pilgrims are set to do so by the end of the day. The event, every 12 years, is billed as the biggest gathering on Earth. More than 100 million people are expected to attend the 55-day festival. Hindus believe a festival dip will cleanse sins and help bring salvation. In 2001, more than 40 million people gathered on the main bathing day of the festival, breaking a record for the biggest human gathering. Sprint to waters The festival formally started at dawn on Monday. All roads leading to the Kumbh Mela grounds are packed with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.

Kumbh Mela in numbers Area: 20 sq km (4,932 acres) Drinking water: 80 million litres Toilets: 35,000 There was a chill in the air as holy men sprinted into the waters in Allahabad, but the day dawned warmer than in recent weeks when a cold snap hit northern India. Police estimated that by the late afternoon about 7.5 million people had bathed. For festival-goers, one of the most memorable spectacles of the day was when the Naga sadhus, or ascetics, sprinted into the river reciting religious chants, many clad only in marigold garlands. The naked ash-smeared men arrived in a colourful procession and waded into the chilly waters of Sangam - the point at which the rivers converge. The Kumbh Mela has its origins in Hindu mythology - many believe that when gods and demons fought over a pitcher of nectar, a few drops fell in the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar - the four places where the Kumbh festival has been held for centuries.

Although the gathering is held every 12 years, this year's festival is what is known as a Maha Kumbh, which only occurs every 144 years and is always held at Allahabad. It will last for 55 days, a period of time determined by an astrological calculation. Image caption One of the main attractions at the festival is the sadhus, the Hindu holy men There are six particularly auspicious days to bathe - the biggest bathing day will be on 10 February when approximately 35 million people are expected to take to the waters. Teams are managing crowds on the river bank - as soon as pilgrims finishing bathing, they are encouraged to move away and make space for other bathers. Shankari Devi from the Indian city of Udaipur arrived on Sunday and spent the night in the open but her conclusion this morning was that "we had a good bath so all the troubles were worth it". "I have washed off my sins," Mandita Panna, a resident of Nepal and another early bather, said. What is a Maha Kumbh Mela?

The Kumbh Mela is a mass pilgrimage in which Hindus gather in specific locations along the holy rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical river Saraswati. There are three different kinds of kumbh: an ardh (or half) kumbh is held every six years at two set locations; a purna (full) kumbh is held every 12 years at four set locations. The 2013 gathering is a Maha Kumbh and that only ever happens after 12 purna kumbhs every 144 years - and it is always held at Allahabad. Astrology determines most aspects of the festival, including its exact date and length. Where the festival is held also depends on the position of Jupiter, the sun and earth. Ashok Kumar Singh also took to the waters but he expressed concerns about its cleanliness. "Yes I had a good bath... but it is us who dirty the Ganges, we are responsible. Most of the pilgrims were throwing their marigold garlands into the water and that pollutes the water." Health concerns Allahabad has been preparing for the festival for months and a vast tented city has grown up around the river.

Fourteen temporary hospitals have been set up with 243 doctors deployed round-the-clock, and more than 40,000 toilets have been built for the pilgrims. Police checkpoints have been set up on all roads leading to Allahabad and about 30,000 policemen and security officials have been deployed to provide security during the festival. At Sangam, some policemen on horseback have been posted. Tens of thousands of men, women and children have set up camp on the white sands of the river front. On Sunday night, smoke could be seen rising from hundreds of small fires which people had built to cook dinner or keep warm. The sadhus have been leading processions accompanied by elephants, camels, horses, chariots and music bands in recent days. The festival has prompted health concerns, however, with campaigners warning that the river waters are heavily polluted. Most pilgrims drink a few drops of the Ganges water and many fill bottles to take home with them. Authorities say they have taken steps to address the concerns. Last week, companies along the banks of the Ganges and Yamuna were warned against discharging any pollutants into the waters.

Image caption Hindus believe a festival dip will cleanse sins and help bring salvation Reservoirs upstream have been ordered to discharge fresh water into the rivers ahead of the six big bathing days, and the festival authorities have declared the Kumbh Mela area a plastic-free zone. The Kumbh Mela, which is costing the authorities 11.5bn rupees ($210m; £130m) to organise, is expected to generate business worth at least 120bn rupees, according to a report by India's Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham). The report says that the festival is also expected to draw over a million foreign tourists. Kumbha Mela Kumbha Mela Temporary tent city at the Allahabad Kumbha Mela, India Sacred site festivals in India, called melas, are a vital part of the pilgrimage tradition of Hinduism. Celebrating a mythological event in the life of a deity or an auspicious astrological period, the melas attract enormous numbers of pilgrims from all over the country.

The greatest of these, the Kumbha Mela, is a riverside festival held four times every twelve years, rotating between Allahabad at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers; Nasik on the Godavari River; Ujjain on the Sipra River; and Hardwar on the Ganges River. Bathing in these rivers during the Kumbha Mela is considered an endeavor of great merit, cleansing both body and spirit. The Allahabad and Hardwar festivals are routinely attended by five million or more pilgrims (13 million visited Allahabad in 1977, 18 million in 1989, and nearly 24 million in 2001) thus the Kumbha Mela is the largest religious gathering in the world. It also one of the oldest. Two traditions are in circulation regarding the origin and timing of the festival: one that stems from ancient texts known as the Puranas, and the other that connects it with astrological considerations.

According to the Puranic epic, the gods and demons had churned the milky ocean at the beginning of time in order to gather various divine treasures including a jar containing amrita, the nectar of immortality. As the jar emerged from the ocean the gods and demons began a terrific battle for its possession. For twelve days and twelve nights (equivalent to twelve human years) the gods and demons fought in the sky for the possession of the potion of immortality. During the battle, which according to some legends the gods won by trickery, four drops of the precious potion fell to earth. These places became the sites of the four Kumbha Mela festivals. The astrological tradition (ascribed to a lost Puranic text and not traceable in existing editions) seems to derive from a very ancient festival called the Kumbha Parva, which occurred at Hardwar every twelfth year when Jupiter was in Aquarius and the sun entered Aries. At some later time the term 'Kumbha' was prefixed to the melas held at Nasik, Ujjain and Prayaga (the earlier name of Allahabad), and these four sites became identified with the four mythical locations of the immortality potion.

In theory the Kumbha Mela festivals are supposed to occur every three years, rotating between the four cities. In practice the four-city cycle may actually take eleven or thirteen years and this because of the difficulties and controversies in calculating the astrological conjunctions. Furthermore, the interval between the Kumbha Mela at Nasik and that at Ujjain is not of three years; they are celebrated the same year or only a year apart. This deviation in practice is intriguing and can not be fully explained by either astrological or mythological means. The following chart gives the astrological periods of the four melas, and the years of their most recent and future occurrences: Hardwar.....when Jupiter is in Aquarius and the Sun is in Aries during the Hindu month of Caitra (March-April); 1986, 1998, 2010, 2021. Allahabad.....when Jupiter is in Aries or Taurus and the Sun and Moon are in Capricorn during the Hindu month of Magha (January-February); 1989, 2001, 2012, 2024.

Nasik.....when Jupiter and the Sun are in Leo in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (August-September); 1980, 1992, 2003, 2015. Ujjain.....when Jupiter is in Leo and the Sun is in Aries, or when Jupiter, the Sun, and the Moon are in Libra during the Hindu month of Vaisakha (April-May); 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016. The antiquity of the Kumbha Mela is shrouded in mystery. The Encyclopedia Britannica states that the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Hsuan Tsang, made a visit to an Allahabad festival in the 7th century AD while in the company of the King Harsavardhana. Tradition associates the 9th century philosopher Sankaracharaya with the organization of the Kumbha Mela at Prayaga (Allahabad).

Sankaracharaya had established four monasteries in the north, south, east and west of India, and had called upon yogis, sadhus and sages to meet at these sites for an exchange of philosophical views. These sites in the four cardinal directions were separated by great distances, however, and therefore the more centrally located site of Prayaga became the meeting place of choice. Indologists speculate that during the 9th to 12th centuries other monks and religious reformers perpetuated this periodic assemblage of sadhus and householders at sacred places on the banks of holy rivers, in order to create an environment of mutual understanding amongst different religious sects. Additionally, the festival gave householders the opportunity to benefit from their association with the normally reclusive sages and forest yogis. What was originally a regional festival at Prayaga thus became the preeminent pan-Indian pilgrimage site. While many millions of Indians, male and female, young and old, lay person and monk, visit the Allahabad Kumbha Mela, the festival is traditionally known as the mela of ascetics and sadhus.

At the most auspicious hour on the most auspicious day of the month-long festival many thousands of naked holy men from various sects will immerse themselves in the river for a ceremonial bath. Following the bathing of the sadhus, millions of other people attempt to enter the river. For a devout Hindu, to bathe at the Kumbha Mela sites (especially Allahabad and Hardwar) at this auspicious time is considered an opportunity of immeasurable significance. This great religious fervor of so many people focused on so small an area of land and water has frequently resulted in hundreds of pilgrims being trampled to death as the masses surge towards the river banks. During the 1954 Kumbha at Allahabad over 500 pilgrims were killed. The Indian government has taken measures to address this problem yet little can be done when such great numbers of pilgrims are involved. Furthermore, it is important to note that many Hindus consider the Kumbha Mela sites to be the most favored places at which to die, and ritual suicide, though discouraged by the government, is still practiced.

Westerners are bewildered, even shocked, by this matter and frequently make judgments without understanding the mythological, religious and cultural reasons behind the behavior. While it is beyond the scope of this essay to discuss the subject in detail, it is interesting to focus attention upon the two origin myths of the Kumbha Mela festival. Four drops of a nectar or potion of immortality were supposed to have fallen to earth at these sites, and at particular astrological periods the four sites are believed to function as portals into immortality and everlasting union with god. How did such myths arise and what is the message encoded in them? Perhaps there is some energy, some mysterious spirit or power, manifest at these places and times that somehow assists human beings to more fully experience spiritual immortality and divinity. The fact that hundreds of millions of people (coming from the most ancient and sophisticated philosophical and metaphysical system on earth) have for thousands of years believed this to be true suggests that an awesome power is indeed present at the Kumbha Mela sites.

In the case of those who give up their bodies after purifying themselves at Prayaga by bathing at the confluence of these two rivers – Ganga and Yamuna – the two wives of the ocean, there is no bondage of another body in a future birth and this liberation is achieved even without philosophical knowledge. -Raghuvamsa 13-58 Kumbh Mela | Hindu festival | Britannica.com Hindu festival feast Kumbh Mela, also called Kumbha Mela, in Hinduism , religious festival that is celebrated four times over the course of 12 years, the site of the observance rotating between four pilgrimage places on four sacred rivers—at Haridwar on the Ganges River , at Ujjain on the Shipra, at Nashik on the Godavari, and at Prayag (modern Allahabad) at the confluence of the Ganges, the Jamuna, and the mythical Sarasvati . Each site’s celebration is based on a distinct set of astrological positions of the Sun, the Moon, and Jupiter, the holiest time occurring at the exact moment when these positions are fully occupied. The Kumbh Mela at Prayag, in particular, attracts millions of pilgrims.

In addition, a Great Kumbh Mela festival is held every 144 years at Prayag; the 2001 festival attracted some 60 million people. Attendees at the Kumbh Mela come from all sections of Hindu religious life, ranging from sadhus (holy men), who remain naked year-round or practice the most severe physical discipline , to hermits, who leave their isolation only for these pilgrimages, and even to silk-clad teachers using the latest technology . The religious organizations represented range from social welfare societies to political lobbyists. Vast crowds of disciples , friends, and spectators join the individual ascetics and organizations. The naga akhadas, militant ascetic orders whose members formerly made their livings as mercenary soldiers and traders, often claim the holiest spots at each Kumbh Mela’s most propitious moment. Although the Indian government now enforces an established bathing order, history records bloody disputes between groups vying for precedence . Tradition ascribes the Kumbh Mela’s origin to the 8th-century philosopher Shankara , who instituted regular gatherings of learned ascetics for discussion and debate.

The founding myth of the Kumbh Mela—attributed to the Purana s (collections of myth and legend)—recounts how the gods and demons fought over the pot (kumbha) of amrita, the elixir of immortality produced by their joint churning of the milky ocean . During the struggle, drops of the elixir fell on the Kumbh Mela’s four earthly sites, and the rivers are believed to turn back into that primordial nectar at the climactic moment of each, giving pilgrims the chance to bathe in the essence of purity, auspiciousness, and immortality. The term Kumbh comes from this mythic pot of elixir, but it is also the Hindi name for Aquarius , the sign of the zodiac in which Jupiter resides during the Haridwar Mela. Learn More in these related articles: Kumbha Mela in India - Fairs & Festivals in India, Kumbha Fair in Haridwar, hindu pilgrimage, Kumbha fair in India, fairs in Rajasthan!

Tourist Mafia | Medicine & Vaccinations | Help Lines | Fairs & Festivals Kumbha (Kumbha means pot) Mela is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage that takes place at the following four locations of India. The four places are Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. All the places are situated on bank of holy river. This pilgrimage Hindu Festival of Kumbha Mela held four times in twelve years. In this Kumbha Mela many of the peoples and make it the largest pilgrimage that gathering around the world. This festival is based on a long story about thousands of year ago related to AMRIT which is found in the MILKY OCEAN. The demons take the pot and run away. For twelve days and twelve nights gods and demon fought in the sky. During the battle the amrit drops into the four places. This Kumbha Mela is attended by millions of people on a single day. A ritual bath at a predetermined time and place is the major event of this festival Thousands of holy men/women (monks, saints, sadhus) grace the occasion by their presence.

The auspiciousness of Kumbha Mela is in part attributed to the gathering of thousands of holy men - women at one place on earth and make itself fresh and good. Kumbh Mela In Haridwar, Prayag, Nasik and Ujjain Allahabad of Uttar Pradesh is the place where three holy rivers - Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati meet each other. the prayag is knows as a point where these three important and big holy rivers of India come and meet together. Kumbh mela at Nasik Maharashtra is also a very famous. nasik is situated on the banks of famous and holy Godavari river. Nasik is popular palace where godavari river come down. Haridwar of Uttar Pradesh is a very holy city and it is the place from where the river Ganga enters the plains from Himalayas. Haridwar is also famous for kumbh mela or kumbh fair. Ujjain of Madhya Pradesh is a very holy city and it is situated on the banks of holy shipra river. Ujjain is also famous for many temples including mahakaleshwar temple of lord Shiva.

the kumbh mela of ujjain is also having a much important place in Indian culture. So the kumbh mela or kumbh fair of different cities like Haridwar, Prayag, Nasik and Ujjain is having a much important place in India. this kumbh mela is one of biggest mela of India where lacks of people from different places of India come to take a dip in holy rivers. they believe that by doing they can feel so comfortable and relax from the mental stress and different tensions. Kumbh Mela Or Kumbh Fair In India Kumbh Mela is a very famous Mela of India and Kumbh is having some religious and social facts behind itï¿½s celebration. Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nasik these are some of famous old and religious places of India which are so famous for culture, temples and river etc. Kumbh Mela held at different places and it is so large. Kumbh Mela is celebrate in four holy places of India and they are Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nasik. Kumbh Mela is one of the biggest fair or mela of India.

during Kumbh Mela the large immense of people dive in holy river. All the people of India comes from different places and participate this kumbh fair. Kumbh Mela continued to twelfth days. Many sadhu and devotee from different akhadas of India come to holy places during kumbh. Kumbh Mela is a very big fair which can be held only in India. this kumbh mela is very important for Indian Hindu peoples. During this festival people people takes a holy dip and bath in holy river. every year more then twenty five lack people come to take a holy dip in river. BBC News | TALKING POINT | Kumbh Mela: Your experiences Tuesday, 16 January, 2001, 10:51 GMT Kumbh Mela: Your experiences It is being described as the biggest festival in the world - the Kumbh Mela has officially begun in the northern Indian city of Allahabad. The Kumbh Mela, or Grand Pitcher Festival, takes place every 12 years and this year about 65 million people are expected to make their way to the Ganges river to purify their sins.

This year's festival coincides with the beginning of the new millennium in the Western calendar, making it even more auspicious for the pilgrims. Have you been to the festival? Was it worthwhile; or more spectacle than spiritual? This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below. Your reaction Kumbh Festival is no doubt a great event for Indians as well as foreigners. We have witnessed the event in the past and it will be on in future also. The holy dip in river Ganges is some thing that no Hindu ever wants to miss. It is believed that after taking a bath in the Ganges one becomes sacred and innocent as a new-born child. But belief is just a belief. The Ganges is now so polluted that taking bath or even just a dip is quite dangerous. I just want to tell the people through this media that we should come forward and force the officials to take some major steps and make the holy river clean, pure and sacred as it was some 200 years back. This will be the best sacrifice from all of us. Najam-uz-Zaman, India Yes, I was fortunate to attend the last one in 1989.

I did not bathe in the water but I enjoyed the inspiring atmosphere. It is sad to see celebrities and others commercialising this event. Rob, UK One person's morality is not necessarily the same as another person's Arvind, UK I can't believe the comments of Carman from the USA. This person obviously knows nothing about Hinduism when referring to 'those men flashing their private parts in public is so disgusting'. This person fails to realise that one person's morality is not necessarily the same as another person's. We are born naked after all. After all it says in the Bible 'Judge not lest ye be judged yourself'. Arvind, UK As regards comments on cleanliness and the strange sights of naked men, the reason why such sadhus do not dress up, or cover themselves in ashes is that it is to signify to God that they are above the need for material desires and only want spiritual satisfaction (salvation from reincarnation). This is the strong message of Hinduism. HN, UK No. I have not yet come across any example where one has come back from a dip at the Kumbh Mela, a reformed and changed person.

The concept of washing away sins, as claimed by many doesn't really make sense, unless it is accompanied by an inner urge to commit no more of them, but that is normally not the case. Hence, I feel that a visit to the Kumbh Mela would be worthwhile only when one makes a firm resolve to listen to his inner voice only - otherwise it would mean just another pleasure trip. AG, India "Home sweet home", that's were I belong Jennifer Gleeson, England/UK I honestly think that going to this Mela would be very weird indeed. I don't know how anyone else feels but the idea of jumping into the water with at least a couple of million people puts me off. What about all the pollution the River carries? Does that mean a couple billion/infinitive germs added to the water? No way, I strongly believe the Mela is not for me. "Home sweet home", that's were I belong. Jennifer Gleeson, England/UK This whole Mela seems like a big GERM! How can people even think about going into the Ganges River which is polluted with god knows what? And all those men flashing their private parts in public is so disgusting! What kind of celebration is this?

Camran, USA The Kumbh Mela is a huge event which has serious religious significance for many. To me, purely from an intellectual perspective the Mela has great appeal because it condones a spartan and ascetic lifestyle which is in stark contrast to the mindless trap of consumerism that we seem to be caught in. The media, unfortunately, is zooming in on random expressions of Hindu fundamentalism and missing the real point. Deepali Srivastava, USA Let people follow their own paths Srimal, India Why does a ritual always become something that everyone has to comment on? It is just a ritual that some people go through to fulfil their beliefs. It does not have to put in a tainted light at all. People who want to visit should do so, people who do not should just let the other people do what they want to do in peace. It is not war - it is something spiritual - let people follow their own paths. Srimal, India Its all about faith. That faith which brings 65 million people together to celebrate and invites the rest of the world to rejoice with them is unique to Hinduism.

"The world is one family" is the message which has been propagated since before Christ by Hindus, but is only now being appreciated in many parts of the world and still not appreciated by many in the world. Please don't glamorise it - it is just a way of life in the myriad ways of life on this planet. Vivek Manchanda, US/India The essence of every religion has been teachings - teachings of the way a society should be so as to provide all humans with the best living conditions and peace. But be it Hinduism, Islam or whatever, the interest of the religious elite has always been in making religion just rituals without either they or their followers often knowing what the religion truly asks from them. They would be doing all they can just for the rituals and yet spending their lives totally contrary to the principles of that very religion. To go for a religion which is based on the caste system and human inequality - what a waste of time and resources and defying logic altogether. Jaazhar, South Africa What practical purpose will that gathering serve? Chowdhury, UAE The water in the river Ganges is already so polluted and contaminated that it is impossible for a sensible person to use.

If someone could medically examine the people who are using this polluted water, they would definitely find enormous germs and bacteria. What practical purpose will that gathering serve? Some more water borne disease? Chowdhury, UAE I have smelled the river before 70 million people have bathed in it; I have no desire to be anywhere near it afterwards. Alex, NZ (ex-pat) I wish to be there next time. This mela truly depicts how people of different regions, languages and cultures can come together for one cause. Varun, USA I heard the stories of Kumbh from my Grandmother Amitabh, USA When I was growing up I heard the stories of Kumbh from my Grandmother, how massive the gathering was and how they almost lost their child in the stampede etc. There are negatives but that does not deter most people from desiring to go. I have lived in the USA for 15 years but still have that dream, the yearning to go and celebrate like a mad man. Amitabh, USA I attended Maha Kumbh Mela in 1977 in Allahabad. I was only 13 years old and it was a lot of fun.

I wish I could attend again. Anil Nagarkoti, USA I am a Hindu Brahmin. While I do agree that people should practice their religion, this sort of mass ritual is definitely something I would avoid. There have been more accidents at these gatherings than any other national event. Stampedes break out often. I shudder when I think of the amounts of pollutants getting into the river. The cost of organising this event could be put to better use. Sriram, California, USA In reply to Mr Awan of the UK, the Kumbh Mela entitles people of all beliefs to reach out spiritually. The core of Hinduism is that there is one God (Bhagavan) regardless of personal background. The "other" Gods are in fact virtues of God, who symbolise the true power and diversity of God. The Kumbh Mela allows people to reach out to God, knowing what a diverse world we live in. The reason for the the Kumbh Mela being taken place in Allahabad, is simply because the Mela has been practised there for thousands of years. Long before the place was conquered and renamed. B.

Sharma, UK The meaning of it is deep and sacred Alok, USA/India I think this is a beautiful festival. One that should be respected and understood by all for the meaning of it is deep and sacred. It is not just for Hindus, but for people everywhere who can be enlightened. I think that this news site has not given a fair depiction of just how amazing this religious festival is and instead has tried to make it into something that is more of a tourist site. People need to show respect as this is something that is holy to all Hindus around the world and deeply a part of a religion that most westerners have never been able to understand. Being a Hindu is not something that is trendy but something that a part of a persons life and soul. Alok, USA/India I would like to say that Allahabad is actually called Prayag. And as people have been talking about the caste system it is festivals like these which bring people of all castes, faiths and religions together. Yes, the commercialisation of the festival, that is not good. Arvind, India I think this is a very important festival for Hindus. I just came back from there and had a spiritual experience.

It did not matter that I am from a low caste just being present there was a great moment of my life. Naveen Rao, Is this even an issue worth talking about. Kumbh is a festival for Hindus and let them celebrate it the way they want it. Have you ever asked "Will you ever want to be part of Christmas celebrations in Vatican?". GLobal Citizen, As per usual the UK media has taken it upon themselves to portray India as badly as possible. An example of this is that every TV channel in every news broadcast shows some sadhus smoking illegal substances. These people only account for a small number of people at the Kumbh Mela and yet the media concentrates on them to create a bad image of India rather than the other much better accomplishments of the Mela. Raj Savjani, India I regret not being able to attend it myself Aditya, USA The Kumbh Mela is a spiritual event for every Hindu irrespective of caste, belief and ethnicity. It also is a demonstration of the true Hindu ethos where every individual is allowed his own belief and practice but at the same time is a part of the larger Hindu identity. I regret not being able to attend it myself.

Aditya, USA No doubt there will be the "gurus" who will be looking for the rich to finance their non-productive lifestyle. Equally there will be true spiritual devotees who will return with a strengthened will to serve humanity and make the world a better place. I just wish these Brahmins realised though, that there is only one caste, the human caste. Alan Cameron, Scotland Being born and brought up in Allahabad, we would make it a point to go and visit the Kumbha and the Magh Mela (the yearly version of the Kumbha Mela) every year. As children, it used to be more of a picnic/ outing for us. The growth of an entire city on the banks of the two rivers is absolutely mind-boggling. Another thing we noticed (or did not notice) was the repeated use of the word 'Hindu Festival'. It was a tradition and a part of our culture that all of us were happy to be a part of. Ambrish Varma, India It is an organised miracle Sukumar Haldar, USA It is an organised miracle. I have been to Kumbh earlier.

It is worth visiting no matter what reason you find to convince yourself or what religion you follow; you will satisfy all of them. If you can afford it, it is worth every penny you will spend and every minute you will be there. It is also a demonstration of several remarkable qualities that people from the Indian subcontinent have developed over the ages. Tolerance is one of them. 20 to 30 million people who speak 30 distinctly different language get together in this harsh weather and take a dip in one of the deepest rivers (Yamuna) without any lifeguards around and still 99.9 percent go back home safely. Sukumar Haldar, USA I think a comparison should be made between the cost of the Millennium Dome and the cost of the Kumbh Mela which will attract over ten times more people in a few days than the Dome did in a year and the fact that the Kumbh Mela was 200 times cheaper to organise than the Dome. Parth, UK It is really a sad thing to see so many people in India, content to be considered a lower caste by this religion. It is only a celebration for the Brahmins who are the upper caste.

Sorry, I will not promote something that violates the fundamental rights of my brothers and sisters to have equal spiritual rights! Just because of being born in a lower caste one can't be a priest! Sorry, I believe we are all born with the same rights and have the right to all spiritual truths. Concerned Indian, UK/India It looks a bit scary as everyone seems to be smoking drugs and covered in ashes....can be very easy to catch a disease near the Ganges where the ashes of the dead are thrown and even dead bodies thrown in.... not for me Shahid Bhatti, Germany I think the Kumbh Mela is for anyone and everyone that is seeking to gain some spiritual enhancement Guru Shenoy, United States I think the Kumbh Mela is for anyone and everyone that is seeking to gain some spiritual enhancement. Interested westerners are welcome and should indeed make it an experience. It is not limited to Hinduism or Hindus although it is a part of its culture. The commercialisation of this event has only led it to send the impression that it is India's version of the western 'Woodstock'. It is not so.

The Kumbh Mela is more introspective and minus the drugs, booze and aimlessly letting go in a puddle of mud. Guru Shenoy, United States I am amazed that all the International media has missed a great irony...A major Hindu festival being held in a town call Allahabad. Allah Abad means a place where Allah's (God and not god) people shall dwell. Allah's believers have a doctrine or belief that there is only one God which is in complete contrast to Hindu's many gods. Riamu Awan, UK I am very happy that I am going to participate again in the first Kumbh of the millennium. It is a mega event where you experience unique variety of Hinduism at one place. Traditional art, music, religion, philosophy, faith etc everything can be experienced at one spot. There is also a possibility that I may meet a great spiritual master who can help me towards Enlightenment. Praveen Tiwari, India I witnessed the build-up to the Kumbh Mela Thomas, UK I have just spent five weeks in India and visited Allahabad last week where I witnessed the build-up to the Kumbh Mela.

It was difficult to move around due to the heavy military presence which had closed or blocked many of the roads. Luckily we found a boat owner who managed to cut through the mayhem and get us down to the confluence of the Ganges and Jumna rivers. It was a very spiritual experience although earlier visits to Varanasi and Pushkar were much more meaningful and peaceful. Thomas, UK It's a religious festival for Hindus not a tourist attraction for bored Westerners with no meaning in their lives. Gerry, Scotland Kumbh Mela is truly unique Prashant Jeloka, USA Kumbh Mela is truly unique, not so much because of its size, but more because of the way India is represented along the coast of the Ganges in Allahabad. I have never been there, but look forward to going in 2013, the next time that it will be held. While it is a gathering of the predominant Hindus, it is a great opportunity to educate people on the evils of hating other religions like Islam. Prashant Jeloka, USA I went to the last one 4 years ago in Haridwar and stayed on an island with a group of Sadhus.

It was probably one of the most amazing things I have ever done in my life! I am not a Hindu but one month I lived the most basic life of a Sadhu, eating, sleeping and attending the rituals with them. It is not somewhere that I feel most people could cope with and definitely not as a tourist destination. But if you want to experience a life totally unlike anything you have ever seen then go. You'll never look at the world in quite the same way again. Kym Overy, UK Since I don't believe in sin, the idea of going somewhere to have my sins washed away is utterly irrelevant. I'd rather go skiing. Pete Morgan-Lucas, Wiltshire, UK Once you are a part of that crowd of humanity, you lose all emotions except for some unknown divine excitement. One may not realise it then but it leaves a permanent mark on your psyche. Lavlesh, India Kumbh Mela Dhanteras Kumbh Mela Sacred site festivals in India, called melas, are a vital part of the pilgrimage tradition of Hinduism.

Celebrating a mythological event in the life of a deity or an auspicious astrological period, the melas attract enormous numbers of pilgrims from all over the country. The greatest of these, the Kumbha Mela, is a riverside festival held four times every twelve years, rotating between Allahabad at the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, Nasik on the Godavari, Ujjain on the Sipra, and Hardwar on the Ganges. Bathing in these rivers during the Kumbha Mela is considered an endeavour of great merit, cleansing both body and spirit. The Allahabad and Hardwar festivals are routinely attended by five million or more pilgrims (13 million visited Allahabad in 1977 and over 18 million in 1989) thus the Kumbha Mela is the largest religious gathering in the world. It may also be the oldest. Two traditions are in circulation regarding the origin and timing of the festival: one that stems from ancient texts known as the Puranas, and the other that connects it with astrological considerations.

According to the Puranic epic, the gods and demons had churned the milky ocean at the beginning of time in order to gather various divine treasures including a jar containing a potion of immortality. As the jar emerged from the ocean the gods and demons began a terrific battle for its possession. During the battle, which according to some legends the gods won by trickery, four drops of the precious potion fell to earth Kumbh Mela 2010 Bathing Dates. These places became the sites of the four Kumbha Mela festivals. The astrological tradition (ascribed to a lost Puranic text and not traceable in extant editions) seems to stem from a very ancient festival called the Kumbha Parva, which occurred at Hardwar every twelfth year when Jupiter was in Aquarius and the sun entered Aries. At some later time the term 'Kumbha' was prefixed to the melas held at Nasik, Ujjain and Prayaga (the earlier name of Allahabad), and these four sites became identified with the four mythical locations of the immortality potion. In theory the Kumbha Mela festivals are supposed to occur every three years, rotating between the four cities.

In practice the four-city cycle may actually take eleven or thirteen years and this because of the difficulties and controversies in calculating the astrological conjunctions. Furthermore the interval between the Kumbha Mela at Nasik and that at Ujjain is not of three years; they are celebrated the same year or only a year apart. This deviation in practice is intriguing and cannot be fully explained by either astrological or mythological means. The following chart gives the astrological periods of the four melas, and the years of their most recent and near future occurrences. Hardwar.........when Jupiter is in Aquarius and the Sun is in Aries during the Hindu month of Caitra (March-April); 1986, 1998, 2010, 2021. Allahabad....... when Jupiter is in Aries or Taurus and the Sun and Moon are in Capricorn during the Hindu month of Magha (January-February); 1989, 2001, 2012, 2024.

Nasik..............when Jupiter and the Sun are in Leo in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (August-September) 1980, 1992, 2003, 2015. Ujjain..............when Jupiter is in Leo and the Sun is in Aries, or when Jupiter, the Sun, and the Moon are in Libra during the Hindu month of Vaisakha (April-May) 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016. The antiquity of the Kumbha Mela is shrouded in mystery. The Encyclopaedia Britannica states that the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Hsuan Tsang, recorded a visit to the Allahabad Kumbha Mela in the 7th century AD in the company of the King Harsavardhana but this is inaccurate information. Hsuan Tsang did actually attend a festival with this king at Allahabad in the 7th century but his records give no mention of a fair called Kumbha and thus the Encyclopedia Britannica assertion is nothing but conjecture.

Tradition credits the ninth century philosopher Sankaracharaya with the organization of the Kumbha Mela at Prayaga (Allahabad). Sankaracharaya had established four monasteries in the north, south, east and west of India, and had called upon the yogis, sadhus and sages to meet at these sites for an exchange of philosophical views. These sites in the four cardinal directions were separated by great distances however, and thus the more centrally located site of Prayaga became the meeting place of choice. Indologists speculate that during the 9th to 12th centuries other monks and religious reformers perpetuated and reinforced this periodic assemblage of saints and householders at sacred places on the banks of the holy rivers to create an environment of mutual understanding amongst different religious sects. Additionally the festival gave householders the opportunity to derive benefit from their association with the normally reclusive sages and forest yogis. What was originally a regional festival at Prayaga thus became the pre-eminent pan-Indian pilgrimage site.

While many millions of Indians, male and female, young and old, lay person and monk, will visit the Allahabad Kumbha Mela, the festival is traditionally known as the mela of the ascetics and sadhus. At the most auspicious hour on the most auspicious day of the month-long festival many thousands of naked holy men from various sects will immerse themselves in the river for a ceremonial bath. Following the bathing of the sadhus, millions of other people will attempt to enter the river. For a devout Hindu, to bathe at the Kumbha Mela sites (especially Allahabad and Hardwar) at this auspicious time is considered an opportunity of immeasurable significance. This great religious fervor of so many people focused on so small an area of land and water has frequently resulted in hundreds of pilgrims being trampled to death as the masses surge towards the riverbanks; during the 1954 Kumbha at Allahabad over 500 pilgrims were killed. The Indian government has taken measures to address this problem yet little can be done when so many pilgrims are involved.

Furthermore it is important to note that many Hindus consider the Kumbha Mela sites to be the most favoured places at which to die, and ritual suicide, though discouraged by the government, is still practiced. Westerners are bewildered, even shocked, by this matter and frequently make insolent judgments without understanding the mythological, religious, and cultural reasons behind the behaviour. While it is beyond the scope of this present book to discuss the subject in adequate detail, it is interesting to focus attention upon the two origin myths of the Kumbha Mela festival. Four drops of a nectar or potion of immortality were supposed to have fallen to earth at these sites, and at particular astrological periods the four sites are believed to function as portals into immortality and everlasting union with god. How did such myths arise and what is the message encoded in them? Perhaps there is some energy, some mysterious spirit or power, manifest at these places and times that somehow allows or assists intentful human beings to more fully experience spiritual immortality and divinity.

The fact that hundreds of millions of people (coming from the most ancient and sophisticated philosophical and metaphysical systems on earth) have for thousands of years believed this to be true suggests that an awesome power is indeed present at the Kumbha Mela sites. Kumbha Mela 2001, Kumbha Mela Allahabad, Mahakumbha 2001, Allahabad Mahakumbha 2001 Kumbh Mela 2001 - The largest gathering of individuals for a religious purpose in the world. Kumbha Mela, 2001 Maha Kumbha Mela is held in Allahabad every 12 years. It also takes place in three other holy places in India every 12 years - Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. The time for Kumbha-mela is judged by the astrological positions of Jupiter and the Sun. In Prayag (Allahabad) the Kumbha-mela takes place during January-February, when Jupiter is in Taurus and the Sun enters Capricorn. The Kumbha-mela in Prayag (Allahabad) is considered especially auspicious.

This very interesting event draws about 15 million people and is the largest attended event in the world. A huge temporary city is created for the millions of pilgrims that arrive for the most auspicious bathing days. Kumbha Mela is like a Yogi Convention, where yogis, sadhus (saints), holy people, and pilgrims come from all over India. Many sadhus come from various holy places, the most remote forests, and mountain caves in the Himalayas. The most famous are the Naga Babas, who are completely naked. They cover their bodies only with ash and wear their hair in dreadlocks. It is said that if one bathes at the Sangam of the Ganges, Yamuna and underground Saraswati on one of the main bathing days during Kumbha Mela that one attains liberation. In the Vishnu Purana it says that one get a great benefit from bathing during Kumbha Mela than performing 1,000 Ashwamedha Yajnas (horse sacrifices) or circumambulating the earth 100,0000 times.

It is said that by bathing at Kumbha Mela that all a person's sins are washed away and that 88 generations of ancestors are benefited. The main bathing days are known as Shahi Snans or Royal Bathing Days. The main bathing day, when the most people come, was on January 24, on the Mauni Amavasya day (the dark moon), when over 15 million people are said to have bathed. The next main day or Shahi Snan is said to be on Basant Panchami (fifth day of the new moon), January 29. I went to the Kumbha Mela for the important bathing day of Maha Sankranti on January 14th, 2001 (when the sun enters the sign of Capricorn), which is supposed to be the third major bathing day (Shahi Snan) of Kumbha Mela. On this day it is said that around five million people bathed. The festival began on January 9th on Paush Purnima (full moon).

The two other main days are Magha Purnima (full moon) on February 8th and Maha Sivaratri (appearance day of Lord Siva) on February 21. Book a Camp or Kumbha Mela Tour?Enquire Now Get in touch with our Tour Planner Arrival*: Kumbh Mela -- Hindu Pilgrimage -- Allahabad, India The Kumbh -- Allahabad � Travel Notes This ancient festival pays homage to a battle between the gods and demons for a pitcher (kumbh). Legend has it that four drops of nectar fell from the pitcher and landed in Allahabad (Prayag), Hardwar, Ujjain and Nasik. A smaller Kumbh Mela is rotated through the other holy cities every three years. The 2001 Kumbh Mela ran from January 9th to February 21st. Millions of Hindus made their pilgrimage to the massive tented city beside the River Ganges and immersed themeselves where three rivers meet -- the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati -- together known as the Sangam.

To the believers, bathing in the river is said to purge them of their sins and break the cycle of birth and death. Even non-hindus journey to Allahabad for the Kumbh Mela; if only to witness the spectacle. Kumbh Mela 2016 Kumbh Mela 2016 Origin of Kumbhmela Held every 4th years, the Kumbh Mela is one of the biggest events for the Indian Hindu community. The exact origin of the Kumbh Mela is very hard to pinpoint. The fair is a primitive one and the reason it is held can be traced back to the ancient episode of 'Sagar Manthan' .Kumbh Mela derives its name from the immortal - Pot of Nectar - described in ancient Vedic scriptures known as the Puranas. Kumbha in Sanskrit language means 'pot or pitcher'. Mela means 'festival'. Thus Kumbh Mela literally means festival of the pot. History of Kumbhmela It is not exactly known since when did people begin to hold Kumbh Mela; it is widely known how this spectacle of faith has attracted the curiosity of foreigners across the world.

The famous Chinese traveler Hiuen-Tsang was probably the first person to mention Kumbh Mela in his diary. In the 8th century, the great Indian saint Shankara popularized the Kumbh Mela among the common people. With each passing year the fair began to be attended by more and more people. By 1977, the number of pilgrims attending Kumbh Mela had grown to a record 15 million! By 1989, the attendance was approximately 29 million!! Today, more than 60 million people is said to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela, making it the largest gathering anywhere in the world. • Maha Kumbh Mela - occurring every 144 years - only in Allahabad. • Purna Kumbh Mela - after every 12 years - last one took place in January 2001 in Allahabad. • Ardh Kumbh - 6th year after Kumbh Mela. • Kumbh Mela - every 3rd years, rotating through Prayag, Nasik, Haridwar and Ujjain.

• Magh Mela - Annual, held every year except years of Kumbh Mela and Ardh Kumbh Mela Held in Magh (Jan-Feb); hence the name. Only in Allahabad. • Haridwar (Uttarakhand) on the Ganges River. • Prayag,Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna. • Nasik (Maharashtra) on the Godavari River. • Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) on the Shipra River. Timings: It is celebrated at different locations depending on the position of the planet of Brashpati (Jupiter), the sun and the moon. Festival | Kumbh Mela India Kumbh Mela India Kumbh Mela India Kumbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage in which Hindus gather at the sacred rivers. The Purna (complete) Kumbh takes place every twelve years, at four placesum Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain , and Nashik.

The Ardh (half) Kumbh Mela is celebrated every six years at Haridwar and Allahabad, The Maha (great) Kumbh Mela which comes after 12 ‘Purna Kumbh Melas’, or 144 years, is held at Allahabad. Last Maha Kumbh was held in the year 2001 A Kumbh Mela presents a rare opportunity to witness some of India’s oldest and most sacred rituals, passed down over many generations from the kings of India, performed by an elite of special Brahmin priests, and witnessed by monks, sages and sadhus – holy men and women from many different cultures around the world who only rarely appear in public on occasions of great significance such as the Mahakumbh. (more…) Where is it held? As mentioned earlier, the Mela is held at four locations, in rotation. Allahabad is the primary location, where the holy rivers meet at a confluence. The Ganges (Ganga), The Yamuna and The mythical Saraswati meet at this point to form this place of worship.

The other three locations which host the Kumbha Mela are Nashik where the Godavari river flows, Ujjain which is home to the river Shipra and the Holy city of Haridwar which lies on the bank of the Ganges. There are 5 different types of Kumbh mela which are mentioned below: Maha Kumbh Mela- This happens once in every 144 years, and people generally find themselves lucky to be a part of it. Millions of Hindu devotees and tourists visit this fair, which takes place only at Allahabad. (more…) Kumbh Mela: The confluence of faith and religion The kumbha mela played a very important role in Bollywood movies, back in the 1970s and 1980s. Most films had a storyline revolving around two brothers who are separated at this magnanimous fair, as children, because of the jam packed arena. And like all Bollywood comedies, the movie ends with a happy ending where the brothers identify each other and reconcile. That was the Bollywood version of the Kumbha Mela, the biggest gathering of the Hindus and spirituality seekers from all parts of the globe.

It is one of the largest peaceful gatherings in the world.

Question: The 2001 Hindu festival of Kumbha Mela was held in which Indian city?
Answer: ALLAHABAD